Car.



C. P. ASTROM.

GAR.

APPLICATION FILED APB. a, 1912.

Pateted Dec.9, 1913.

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'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL P. ASTROM, 0F EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO M. H. TREADWELL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CAR.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL P. AsTRoM, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to vehicles, and particularly to cars adapted to run on a set of rails.

More particularly, this invention relates to an improved construction of the ruiming gear and means for mounting the body of the car on the same.

I contemplate applying my invention to cars for hauling such material as coal, ore, and the like, usually stored in piles, and desired to be transferred by car loads to another location. In view of such use, I have provided my car with wheels which are adapted to run on a set of rails and also on any approximately smooth surface; however, this particular feature may be varied according to the purposes to which my invention may be put.

An object of my invention is to devise a running gear whereby the oar may be run around rail curves of much less radius of curvature than is possible with arrangements heretofore proposed. To this end, I provide movable axles which are pivoted to the body or frame of the car, such axles being joined in pairs by interconnecting links, preferably somewhat yieldable, said links extending from diagonally disposed points of the two axles.

Another object of this invention is to provide a car which can be run around a curve defined by two or more rails with minimum effort, and at the same time to be stable when movin around such curve at a comparatively iigh speed.

Other objects and features of my invention will be more fully understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car embodying my invention, a portion thereof being` shown in dotted lines to indicate the dumping position of the car; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the car shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a plan, partly in section, of the running gear of the car shown in the preceding figures, illustrating the positions Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 3, 1912.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Serial No. 688,263.

of the parts when the car is drawn around a rail curve.

Referring to the drawings the body 1 is shown as pivotally mounted on the frame 2. In normal position, the body is retained in horizontal position by the lever 3, shown as pivoted on the body 1 and adapted to engage the lug` 4 on the frame 2, the catch 5 servin to lock the lever 3 in retaining position. n the car illustrated in the drawings, two axles 6, 7 are employed, although any plurality of axles may be used. The axles 6, 7 are held by the bolsters 8 pivoted to the frame 2 by king pins 9. The link 10 extends from the eye-lug 11 positioned at or near one end of the axle 6 to the eye-luf)- 12 positioned at or near the opposite end of the axle 7. The link 13 extends from the leye-lug 14 positioned at or near the other end of the axle G to the eye-lug 15 disposed at or near the opposite end of the axle 7. The link 13 is provided with a bent portion 16 to avoid interference with the link 10, and also serves to give sufficient resiliency to the link 13 and thereby to the axles when the car is drawn around curves, and also when striking obstacles, and under other conditions, as will be understood. The bent portion 17 of the link 1() provides the desired resiliency for the link 10. The loose wheels 18 are positioned at the ends of the axle portion 19, and held thereon by nuts 20. Each wheel 18 comprises an inner tread 21 of relatively smaller diameter, and an outer flange and tread 22 of larger diameter, the latter serving as a iiange when the inner tread 19 rides upon the surface of the rails.

Fig. 3 illustrates the positions of the axles and wheels with respect to the rails R when running around the curves, and it will be observed that the car will be run with minimum effort around a rail curve of appreciably low radius of curvature. In the particular form illustrated in Fig. 3, the pivoted axles 16 assume positions substantially in alinement with the radius of the curve of the rails. Thus, when the car runs around the rail curve, the wheel portions 21 serve as the tread, and the outer wheel portions 22 serve as Hanges, the face of which is preferably at right angles to the surface of the tread.

It will be seen that the operation of this invention in trucks when running upon rails depends upon the flanges being at the outside of the wheels, since inside Hang-es would not operate. In going around a curve, the outside ange of the inner wheel will strike the outer edge of the rail first, which engagement will tend to hold this end of the axle relatively still, allowing the outer end of the axle to swing around the outer arm of the curve. This pivotal movement of the forward axle is transmitted by the crossed links to the rear axle, which tends to swing oppositely to the forward axle, to such extent as is permitted by the normal clearance between the iange and the rail. The car being in motion during this time it will, of course, be seen that these two trucks by the coperating links tend to automatically position themselves on radii of the curve, and consequently to go around Curves of Very short radius with a minimum of effort. The handle 23 operates in the same manner as the flange when the truck is not running on rails, since the act of turning the handle to one side or the other to turn the axle to which it is connected, will automatically turn the other truck, so that the axles will move oppositely to each other and enable very short curves to be turned.

When the car is drawn off the rails, the larger wheel portions serve as the tread. Itwill be clear that the inner wheel portion need not be integral or fixed to the outer wheel portion, and both Wheel portions may be loose on the axles. The handle 23 is suitably conneoted to an axle of the car, as by the spaced lugs 24, and thus by turning the handle to either side, the pivoted axles are oppositely rotated. The inclines 25 are provided at the ends of the rails for readily drawing the car on and off the same.

It will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made in the specific arrangement illustrated Without departing from my invention.

What I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A car comprising in combination a frame, a pair of axles pivotally mounted thereon, wheels positioned at the ends of said axles, and links connecting said axles at diagonally oppositely disposed points, each of said wheels comprising an inner tread portion and having but a single flange, said single flange being disposed exteriorly of said tread portion and of relatively greater diameter.

2. In a Car, the combination of a frame, a plurality of axles pivotally connected thereto at central points thereof, links for connecting said axles at diagonally oppositely disposed points, and Wheels mounted at the extremities of said axles, said Wheels having an. inner tread portion and but a single flange portion, said Harige portion being adapted to engage the exterior vertical face of a rail.

3. A car comprising in combination a body, wheel axles pivotally connected thereto, crossed links connecting said axles at oppositely disposed points, and wheels mounted at the extremities of said axles, certain of said wheels being loosely mounted on their respective axles each of said wheels comprising an inner tread portion and having but a single flange, said iange being of larger diameter and adapted to engage the rail on the outside thereof.

4. A car comprising in combination a body, wheel axles pivotally connected thereto, diagonally disposed links connectingY said axles at points adjacent the ends thereo one of said links being provided with a bent loop portion to provide limited resilience against thrusts, and wheels mounted at the ends of said axles, each of said wheels comprising a tread portion and having but a single rail engaging flange, said flange being positioned on the outer side of said tread portion.

In testimony1 whereof I aiiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CARL P. ASTROM.

Witnesses:

J. S. WoosTER, GEO. N. KERR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). C. 

